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Σπαγγέτι - gender/number and pronunciation

Cifi

Σπαγγέτι - gender/number and pronunciation

Post by Cifi »

Duolingo teaches this word without indicating the gender or number. Consulting some dictionaries, obviously it is neuter, but some say it is plural and other say singular.

Thus my question: would it be τα σπαγγέτι (as τα ζυμαρικά α and τα μακαρόνια) or το σπαγγέτι.

And then, to me Duolingo's pronunciation seems similar to spanghetti. This would be in concordance with Greek pronunciation rules as far as I understand (it is the same sound as in το αγγούρι), but in a discussion someone said it shouldn't be this way, possibly because it is a loanword(?)

I found only one example on forvo: https://forvo.com/word/σπαγγέτι/#el

Last edited by Cifi on Thu Jun 23, 2022 2:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Native: :de: Intermediate: :uk: Lower intermediate: :es: Beginner: :fr: Absolute beginner: 🇬🇷
(If there are errors in what I'm writing in either language, please do correct me - I'll never take it as offense or something like that.)

Cifi

Re: Σπαγγέτι - gender/number and pronunciation

Post by Cifi »

Right in the next lesson I had το σπαγγέτι, so it seems to be singular, and this question would be solved.

Native: :de: Intermediate: :uk: Lower intermediate: :es: Beginner: :fr: Absolute beginner: 🇬🇷
(If there are errors in what I'm writing in either language, please do correct me - I'll never take it as offense or something like that.)

O.Zoe
Greece

Re: Σπαγγέτι - gender/number and pronunciation

Post by O.Zoe »

"το σπαγγέτι" is the singular form - it refers to a single strand of spaghetti. The plural form is "τα σπαγγέτι". It's a loanword, thus it's indeclinable. Just like in Italian, the plural form is used more.

As for the pronunciation, Wiktionary says it's /spa(ŋ)ˈɡe.ti/, with an optional ŋ. Personally, I would probably pronounce it without the ŋ sound, but I wouldn't find it unnatural with it. Frankly, I doubt that the average Greek even notices the difference between the two.

🇬🇷 N :gb: C1 :de: B1 :it: A1

Phil682961

Re: Σπαγγέτι - gender/number and pronunciation

Post by Phil682961 »

O.Zoe wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:14 am

As for the pronunciation, Wiktionary says it's /spa(ŋ)ˈɡe.ti/, with an optional ŋ. Personally, I would probably pronounce it without the ŋ sound, but I wouldn't find it unnatural with it. Frankly, I doubt that the average Greek even notices the difference between the two.

I got interested in this a while back when there were some hot takes on it on the Duolingo forum, and tried to listen to some examples.

For example here:

There are a couple of instances of σπαγγέτι here between 0:50 and 0:55. I think I'd transcribe these with [g] rather than [ŋg]... but at the same time I think I can hear a small amount of nasality there, it's not an absolutely non-nasal [g]. Like you say, it's not necessarily a black-and-white distinction.

Phil682961

Re: Σπαγγέτι - gender/number and pronunciation

Post by Phil682961 »

(Side note, the title of the video also demonstrates the use of σπαγγέτι in the plural: it's εύκολα σπαγγέτι, whereas the singular would be εύκολο σπαγγέτι.)

Last edited by Phil682961 on Sat Jun 25, 2022 11:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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